Realization always comes too late
by Emma.S18
Summary: Regina has been ignoring her family for months now. When she realizes this, will she be able to fix everything? - Established Swan Queen - Warning suicide, but happy ending - rather sad/dark - I don't own OUAT


**A/N: Warning: Suicide**

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><p>"Hey beautiful, how's your day?" Emma answered the phone happily. "Busy, busy as always. I'm calling to let you know I won't be eating at home tonight." Emma sighed. "But Regina, don't you know what day it is?" Emma asked a spark of hope left. "Tuesday. Why?" Emma rolled her eyes. "The date not the day." Regina quickly checked her calendar. "It's November 11th. Again I ask 'why'?"<p>

Shock passed through the blonde. It had been like this for months now, but she had at least hoped her girlfriend would come home today. "Happy anniversary to you too. I'll leave your present on you nightstand." She sighed and hung up the phone.

A pang of guilt filled the brunette. How could she have forgotten today was their anniversary? As bad as she felt, she still couldn't leave work. If she left now the townspeople would make Snow take her place, as Mayor and she would never let that happen. She'd just have to make it up to her girlfriend some other time.

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><p>A few months later, Regina still barely left work. "Hello Regina. I guess your calling to tell me you won't make it home for dinner, AGAIN?" The frustration in the blonde's voice made Regina sigh. "I haven't missed dinner that many times, Emma." The blonde rolled her eyes, even though she knew Regina couldn't see it. "Okay, then tell me: when was the last time we ate dinner together?" Regina thought about it for a second. "For Henry's birthday." She answered. "Exactly!" the blonde said, "and Henry's birthday was a little over two months ago!" Before Regina could answer the blonde hung up on her.<p>

A few hours later she got another call from home, but this time it was her son. "Mom?" His voice sounded sad, which made Regina frown worried. "Henry? Are you alright?" A few seconds of silence passed. "I'm fine, but Ma's not. She's crying." Regina frowned. "I had her on the phone a couple of hours ago and she seemed fine to me." She said and heard Henry sigh. "Mom, you forgot her birthday was today, didn't you?" Regina quickly checked her calendar and sighed. "Shit! I'm sorry!" She quickly said. "It's not me you have to tell!" was the only answer she got, before the line went dead.

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><p>A few days later, Regina finally got out of work in time to go home for dinner. As she entered the house, she frowned. There were boxes full of both Emma and Henry's stuff in the foyer and nobody around. "Henry? Emma?" She called.<p>

A few minutes later, Henry came downstairs and put on his coat. "Where are you going?" His brunette mother asked him. "I'm going to live with Grandma and Grandpa." He answered simply. "Why? And where is your Mother?" Henry looked at her sadly. "This is all your fault!" he said, tears starting to roll down his cheeks. "Henry? What happened? What's going on?" Regina asked worriedly.

"No!" he said harshly, "you do NOT get to be worried! This is your fault! My Mother is DEAD because of you." Regina's eyes filled with tears. "What do you mean 'your Mother is dead'?" She tried to put her hand on his cheek but he stepped back. "I mean she killed herself! On her birthday. She was so sad, when you forgot it. You forgot your anniversary too, remember and it finally was too much for her. After all she'd been through as a child, she had finally found her family and you ruined it! You did what every other person had ever done to her and she was heart broken, so she killed herself! It's all your fault. I hate you" Henry was on his knees, clutching Emma's favorite red leather jacket and sobbing.

A few minutes later the doorbell rang. Snow White had come to get Henry. He grabbed both the box with his stuff and the one with Emma's and walked out the door. After putting everything in the car he turned back to Regina. "She killed herself four days ago and you didn't even notice." He told her sadly. With that said, he stepped into the car and was gone, leaving behind a sobbing brunette.

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><p>Now that she had lost everything; her girlfriend, her son, her job, her town, her Happy Ending… Regina finally realized how much she had. She realized that she had been neglecting her girlfriend and her son for far too long and that she had been as horrible to Emma as all the other people she had ever known.<p>

"I'm so sorry, Emma" she sobbed. "You deserved so much better. Maybe I really am the Evil Queen." The house felt so empty and cold without her loving girlfriend and their amazing son. She had really messed up this time and nothing would make up for what she did. She might as well have killed the blonde herself.

She found a note from Henry, which said where they had buried Emma and the brunette didn't hesitate one second. She grabbed her coat and went to visit her girlfriend. If only there was a way to turn back time and fix all her mistake.

Regina sobbed and sobbed for hours at Emma's grave until she finally fell asleep.

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><p>Regina woke up, her heart still hurting. She didn't remember going to bed or even going home at all and yet, her she was. Suddenly she felt an arm around her waist and turned to look who it was from.<p>

Seeing the blonde stirring next to her, she started crying. This woke up the blonde pretty fast. "Hey? What's wrong, baby?" She quickly wrapped her arms around the brunette. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" the brunette sobbed. Emma kissed her girlfriend's cheek. "Hey, it's okay! What happened? Did you have a nightmare?" Regina nodded. "Do you want to talk about it?" Again, the brunette nodded.

After telling Emma about the awful nightmare the blonde held her even tighter. "Please, don't leave me?" Regina begged tears still rushing down her cheeks. "I promise, I won't leave you." Emma reassured. "Let's go to dinner tonight as a family to celebrate your birthday." Regina suggested. Emma shook her head and Regina's face lost all its color. "But you said-" Emma didn't let her finish. "How about, we go eat lunch as a family and you take me on a dinner date tonight to make up for almost forgetting today is my birthday?" Regina smiled relieved and nodded. "I love that idea. Emma, I really love you, you know?" Emma kissed her lips and smiled "And I love you."

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><p>"I have two presents for you, my love." Regina announced during their lunch. Both Henry and Emma looked at her confused. "I thought you had forgotten?" Henry asked confused. "I had, but I had a few hours this morning and I have magic." Regina smirked at both of them.<p>

"Okay, so the first one is that I quit my job. We have enough money to live happily and this way I get to spend more time with the two of you." Both Emma and Henry smiled widely at her. "You didn't have to quit your job. We just wanted to see you more often." Emma said, feeling bad for making her quit her job. "Well, it was never going to be possible, seeing as I had too much work and I hated my job anyway." This made Emma feel less guilty.

"As for your second present" Regina said as she got up and kneeled next to Emma. She took out a little velvet box and handed it to the blonde. "Emma, I love you with all of my heart. I can't live without you. You are my one and only True Love, my Happy Ending. Emma Swan, will you marry me?" Tears of joy rolled down both women's cheeks. "Of course, yes. I love you so much." Regina quickly put the ring on Emma's finger, before leaning forward. They kissed passionately, until their son interrupted them by clearing his throat. "I'm really happy for you, but could you not do that so much in front of me?" Both women chuckled.

This was how it was supposed to be all along. This was their Happy Ending. Henry quickly stood from his seat across the women and hugged them both at the same time. "I love you both and I'm really happy for you two." Both women kissed his cheek and simultaneously said: "We love you too, Henry" It was a perfect moment their family really needed.


End file.
